Public electronic information networks such as the Internet provide a global communications infrastructure so that users can communicate with each other by email, text messaging, and the like, or to engage in electronic commerce, referred to as e-commerce. A typical example of an e-commerce transaction includes online shopping, where a computer user purchases an item from a merchant's website.
A well-known problem with the Internet is that online users expose themselves to risk with regard to personal or sensitive information being accessed, intercepted, or spoofed by an unauthorized party. A prevalent example pertains to point-of-sales transactions, where sensitive information such as a credit card and the like can be unlawfully obtained when an online shopper transmits the information as electronic data over the Internet to an online merchant. In a related example, a bank customer's ATM personal identification number (PIN) can be unlawfully obtained during a financial transaction over the Internet. In yet another example, a member of a social network service such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and the like may transmit personal information such as a phone number or home address over the Internet to another member, which can likewise be exposed to unauthorized parties. In these examples, personal or sensitive information is transmitted over a network, exposing online users to interception by a computer hacker, where the information can be obtained for unlawful purposes, such as fraud or identity theft.
In an effort to improve security, an online user will often create a username and password combination for each e-commerce website or online service with which the user wants to engage in activity. However, it can be difficult for the online user to maintain a large listing of different usernames and passwords. Moreover, the usernames and passwords, when transmitted over a public network, are exposed to unauthorized parties via network sniffer attacks and the like.